University Network for Innovation in Guidance

General targets and intentions

The network aims to make a significant contribution to develop career guidance in harmony with the European priorities of lifelong learning and lifelong career guidance and in the context of the bologna process and other important impulse of the European discussion.
Regarding the content of study programs/degree programs: the Network aims to discuss and develop the issues which are crucial in this context, especially the interlink of described developments in society (economic, political and social change in the modern European societies) and the developments needed within the offered study programs/degree programs in general and the Bologna Process in detail.

The specificity of the European background in lifelong learning, education and career guidance especially:

• the link to the employment market,
• mobility within the EU for citizens,
• the Approach of the EQF and the European national framework for higher education qualifications and
•  the link to a lifelong perspectives in career guidance are issues which are underestimated until today.

The network want to apply on this issues and bring them on the agenda in the education of career guidance and lifelong-learning practitioners and experts within the next years.
Not at least the question of competitiveness of the European Universities regarding career guidance and counselling and the enhancement of visibility and competitiveness of European research and degree programs are relevant aims of this network.

A network of Universites offering study and degree programs in career guidance and counselling

The aspired network involves Universities, which are leading in providing degree programs for career guidance practitioners, experts and researchers in their countries and in Europe. At the same time it integrates Universities form countries where the activities to establish degree programs and research just began. Degree programs in the subject of guidance and counselling are multidisciplinary activities that covers disciplines like education, economics, psychology, communication, philosophy and others.
The need of outstanding teaching, training and research activities is obvious:

• Effective career guidance services and the accomplishing of lifelong-learning processes need a wellfounded scientific background which is oriented at the actual and future challenges.
• Existing an new developed Bachelor- and Master degree programs are educating Professionals for different roles. Beside career guidance professionals in the narrow sense there is a need for Experts and researchers who are able to develop degree programs, projects and policies, who are able to support career guidance practitioners and who take charge in evaluation and development of services e.g. as entrepreneurs, as consultants/advisers or second line experts.
• Education and Training of professionals and experts must be integrated in research activities to catch up with the latest developments and needs
• To have the full impact, the work of Universities/HEI must be visible in the political and professional career guidance and LL-Contexts as well as in the scientific community.

The long-term-objective of a European degree programs and European study Modules for career guidance is a strong attractor for the Network to built a strong and sustainable cooperation within the next years and beyond. Within the period of the grant it is planed to develop the base for such a development.